Hermione and the Horcrux
by Psycho-Stories-Unlimited
Summary: We watched as Harry battled for his life against the Riddle in the diary, and then as Ron stood off against the piece of Riddle in the locket. But how did Hermione do? Did the most innocent-looking of the horcruxes in fact be one of the most dangerous?


**A/N: My first HP fic :D! **

**We know both Harry and Ron had to fight their fears and get past the cursed fragments of the Dark Lord's soul… but what about Herminie? (this fic is POV style) **

Our footsteps echo down the dark passageways, traveling through the halls that I haven't seen in months, everything is almost like a dream. There is the yellow glow of torches along the walls and the pearly light of the moon streaming through the windows. And the normal stillness of the castle is broken by the dull roar of students heading toward the exit.

Yet Ron and I walk through as though it was just another day of class; and just like any other day I might have just needed to go in the girls' lavatory for a second.

Well, not exactly, normally I would avoid this lavatory like the plague, especially now that Ron proposed his plan; the plan to destroy the Horcrux, the very Horcrux that was stowed safely in the magically expanded beaded bag, which I had tucked in my coat pocket.

On any normal day Moaning Myrtle would be in there, weeping bitterly at some travesty (real or imagined) that had befallen her.

On any other day, I wouldn't even be walking here in the dead of night, (That was more Harry's territory)

On any NORMAL day, You Know Who wouldn't be threatening Hogwarts with Death Eaters pounding at our gates.

And I especially wouldn't be holding the key to destroying you know who in my hands. In a cup no less, of course, this wasn't your average cup, this wasn't any normal day; these weren't any normal circumstances. Normality had ended the day I joined this unlikely pair.

We entered the lavatory; ignoring the "Out of Order" sign as usual.

"Here we are," says Ron, gesturing to one of the taps set along the wall. It seems even older and rustier than the others and Ron begins tilting his head, as though looking for something.

"What are you doing?" I asked, stepping to get a closer look at the dingy tap.

"Not sure," says Ron, "Harry looked around here for a while and then he found- Ah hah!"

"What?" I ask,

"Look, can't you see it?"

I leaned forward and saw something scratched into the side of the tap, something that looked like a small snake.

"Good job Ron!" I said "Now how do we-"

A horrible hissing rasping sound filled the room and I whirled to stare around, and my eyes landed on Ron. He grinned sheepishly, "Sorry," he said, "I can't really speak snake like Harry can but I thought I'd give it a shot…"

"Uh… well… I guess if that's how Harry did it last time, I guess we don't have much of a choice." I said.

Ron cleared his throat again and began to make all manner of noises,

The few times I had heard Harry speak in that strange sibilant language, it sent chills up my spine. The language seemed cold and slimy and wrong. It was no wonder the other students had reacted the way they had when he had first spoken that way at the Dueling Club so long ago.

Ron, on the other hand sounded like he was choking on a chocolate frog and couldn't help but smile despite the grim circumstances, and I was about to tell him he was making a right fool of himself, but the smile died on my lips when suddenly one cold slithering syllable escaped his lips, then another.

Just for a moment, the Horcrux in my pocket burned white hot. I didn't know how it was possible to feel it through the beaded bag, and I tried to stifle a small shriek of pain.

Ron didn't seem to hear me. He barked out a phrase and suddenly the tap began to sink back into the wall, leaving an opening wide enough for a man to slide through.

"Hay!" Ron said excitedly, "I did it! Look Hermione!" He stopped and must have seen the stricken look on my face.

"Hay," he said, softer this time, "It's fine; I was scared stiff last time I went in there too. Come on, we can't leave the others waiting."

He stepped into the tunnel and slid down; I paused for a second longer, then straightened and slid forward into the mouth of the tunnel.

We slid down a pipe that seemed to go down for miles, Both of us had our wands lit so we wouldn't lose each other. There was no way to slow down, and I worried that the slide would land abruptly, I could see Ron as a vague shape in front of me, and suddenly I felt the slide start to level out.

Ron landed neatly at the bottom, but suddenly I felt myself speed up for no reason, I shot off the end of the slide, and skid painfully across the rough stone floor, until I hit a wall on the far side, my wand went out, and I lay there, stunned.

"What the?" said Ron, and he bent to pick something up,

The Horcrux, but how could it have fallen out? I looked around to see if anything else had fallen out of the bag, there was nothing else scattered around, and the bag remained firmly closed.

"Hermione?" he called, moving the beam from his wand around. It landed on me and he ran over.

He helped me stand up, and I wobbled a little,

"Better not lose this," Said Ron, shoving the Horcrux back into my hands, I didn't know if it was my mind playing tricks on me, but for a moment I thought I saw a twisted reflection mirrored in the surface of the cup. A handsome reflection that suddenly became twisted, snake-like, with a malicious sneer.

"Ron, I don't think-" I said, trying to keep my voice from shaking, but Ron had already started moving forward, deeper into the cave. I had no choice but to go along with him, and, sighing, I put the cup into the beaded bag.

We came to what looked like a dead end where a huge rock fall had blocked most of the path leading onward.

"This is as far as I got last time," said Ron, "When Lockheart tried to get read of our memories." He grinned at the memory, "The fool."

I looked at Ron sideways, "What?"

"Nothing," Said Ron, "Come on, we need to get some of this rock out of the way,"

I looked at the heavy rocks, wondering which part would be safest to move, seeing as we didn't want the entire lot to come crashing around our ears.

Ron raised his wand, but I put my hand out,

"Let me try." I said, raising my own wand getting ready to begin to move the rocks, trying to make an opening big enough for both of us to squeeze through,

"Here," Said Ron, also shifting one of the rocks above the hole, "This'll help steady it."

I stared uneasily at the hole, but it seemed stable enough,

Ron climbed in first, and called to me, I began to wriggle my way through the hole. When I was about half way through I heard a terrifying grinding of rock against rock and looked up in time to see the bolder that was hanging over me begin to crash downward!

If Ron hadn't been there to pull me the rest of the way through, I might have been smashed under the huge rock that was now blocking our way through. It was a near thing though, as I was climbing through, I heard the rock begin to give way, and I looked to see Ron's face, first with what looked like a sneer of triumph, and then a look of dawning horror. He threw himself forward, and wrenched me the rest of the way through.

I was showered with sharp shards of rock. I picked myself up, again, feeling something warm and sticky on my face, but I was thankful to be alive. I looked up, ready to thank Ron, and watched, with a twinge of surprise as he stood up and dusted himself off, he didn't seem to have been hurt by the rock fall, in fact, he didn't seem to have a speck of dust on him.

"What?" He said, watching me stare at him

"The- There's not a mark on you." I said weakly

"You're not as used to this as me and Harry are." Said Ron, in what I guess he thought was a reassuring voice, though in fact it sounded almost mocking "You've almost never had to deal with as much pain as me and Harry have. We're probably just stronger that way."

I should have felt anger and resentment at this, but the only emotion that ran through me was fear.

It scared me, what if I really was weaker? Would I be able to survive? I looked around again, made sure the bag was still safely in my pocket, and took a few trembling steps forward, hoping with all of my heart to be rid of this cursed object that held the piece of a cursed soul. And if we both died here, then there wouldn't be hope for Harry, or anybody out there on the surface.

_No hope…._ A voice seemed to hiss in my ear, and I repressed a shudder as we continued to walk down the dark passageway.


End file.
